Dre Island, Popcaan praised for 'We Pray'

Reggae artiste Dre Island had a long road to the mic stand. Initially working behind the scenes and producing songs for local up-and-coming talents, the recording artiste can now boast that he has a collaboration with one of dancehall's hottest acts, Popcaan.

In August, Dre Island took a dip into the international marketplace, premiering the music video for the Popcaan-assisted, self-produced single We Pray on popular music and culture website Noisey.com. The video follows high school track star Dejour Russell through rigorous training and obstacles before a race. Since its release, the video has amassed more than 418,000 views.

We Pray is available for purchase via iTunes and all other major digital platforms.

In a release sent to THE WEEKEND STAR, Dre Island said he and the Unruly deejay have been close friends for quite sometime, however, there was never a perfect opportunity to collaborate for a record until recently.

"I listened to the song and instantly decided that I wanted Popcaan on it. Poppi is like family to me, so I reached out. He came to the studio, listened to the track, and the rest is history," he said.

Dre Island has hit various local stages like Reggae Sumfest, the Shaggy and Friends charity concert, Rebel Salute, Arts in the Park, Bridging the Gap, and Bob Marley Trench Town Rock. Earlier this year, Dre Island was selected as brand ambassador for the celebration of Bob Marley's 72nd birthday.

"I see myself as an ambassador for the people; no partiality but all love. It was a great feeling to be selected as the 72nd ambassador for [the celebration] because Bob Marley has been my inspiration from birth. It's a joy to know that I am now a reggae artiste, and it's represented at the highest level. It's an honour," Dre Island said.

Now, after completing his European summer booking, Dre Island is focused on the upcoming release of his album.